But he's quick to detect where the football will go. Proof: Te’o picked off seven passes last year, the most ever by a Notre Dame linebacker.

“Those seven interceptions came with instincts and also with my study of my film,” Te’o said last Saturday, a day after Telesco traded up to select him 38th. “I took on another level of knowledge when it came to knowing my opponents, what they liked to do, how they liked to attack certain defenses and who their key guy was.

"So, obviously with the help of my D-line, with the help of the other guys on the field, I was able to be in the right place at the right time, to be able to make a big play to help my team win.”

Te’o grew up in a small town on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. His father, Brian, has said Manti was trusting of others, more so if they'd met approval from either his family or close friends. In one instance, it backfired in spectacular fashion. The resulting fake girlfriend scandal, Te’o said, owed mostly to his being “naïve” and “just unlucky.”

There’s no doubting the 22-year-old's football powers of discernment, however. Even as a rookie, Te’o should read Peyton Manning far better than he did Ronaiah Tuiasosopo.

Telesco said Te'o “loves to practice, loves to play, loves to watch film,” and the rookie linebacker said he thinks San Diego's 3-4 defense is "very similar" to Notre Dame's scheme.